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Every New York City official, beginning with the mayor and police commissioner, lavishly and repeatedly praised their police force in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. They unanimously proclaimed that the officers who lost their lives at the World Trade Center were fallen heroes. They lauded the courage and dedication of the hundreds of other officers who served at the site during the first hours of the tragedy and for many subsequent weeks. They accurately identified the police force as New York's first line of defense against terrorism. "It is a shame that New York's police officers have to fight for fairness while fighting crime and guarding against terrorist threats." However, city officials are apparently much more generous with words than they are with dollars for those doing one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. A three-year person
arbitration panel has been named to decide the terms and conditions of
employment for 27,000 NYPD officers for the period between July 31, 2000,
and this coming Most of all, it means that expressions of gratitude and admiration haven't translated into appropriate financial compensation. To put it another way, New York officials haven't put their money where their mouths are. The union sought for many years to be placed under the state Public Employment Relations Board for contract arbitration purposes. Its theory was that the state agency would be more likely than the city's Board of Collective Bargaining to take into account higher salaries paid by police departments in surrounding jurisdictions. Incredible as it might seem, this change continued to be the PBA's best hope for wage increases and other improvements even during the months following the terrorist attack. A recent State Court of Appeals ruling found in favor of the PBA's position, setting the stage for creation of the arbitration panel. While this development provides New York's police officers with some reason for optimism, it cannot offset their disappointment and frustration at the conflict between words of glowing praise and stonewalling at the bargaining table. "This situation is a sad commentary on how willing public officials are to make sweeping statements about the importance and bravery of police officers, but how unwilling they are to properly compensate the law enforcement professionals whose work they claim to value so highly," declared MAP Executive Director Fred Timpner. "It's ironic that the men and women of the NYPD, who were rightly recognized for performing their jobs over and above the call of duty in New York's darkest days, have to look to a state agency for contract improvements because they can expect so little from the city they serve." "It is a shame that New York's police officers have to fight for fairness while fighting crime and guarding against terrorist threats." |
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